Abstract
Architecture is simply the art of building and designing manmade environments. Architects build and design additions to any natural setting to enhance the human life quality and functionality. Architecture requires a lot of energy consumption before, during and after the building process; leading to severe impacts on the environment with every increase of building developments. The environment gets affected in means of climate, natural resources, pollution, deforestation, etc. Statistically, buildings consume almost 40% of the energy use worldwide [1]; causing 90% of the environmental impacts [2]. Therefore, architects initiated a new way of building called sustainable architecture, which help give back or prevent the negative impact on the environment. Sustainable architecture became an international trend for designing green buildings and maintaining limited resources if not increasing it. For example, increase the use of sustainable materials, create zero-energy buildings, better water reuse and management, build green roofs, etc. This research may also shows a good case study for sustainable architecture, which is the Biosciences Research Building in Galway, Ireland also known as the AIA (The American Institute of Architects) Committee on the Environment Top Ten Projects' winner for 2016. The project shows up-to-date technologies and techniques used to provide a great example of how sustainable or green architecture could be applied. There are many other successful buildings and structures that achieved impressive results in green architecture, as well. To help motivate and encourage sustainability, several associations rate how green a building is according to studied and professional criteria that later reward buildings with high levels of sustainability.
Index Terms- Architecture, environment, green buildings, sustainability.